Happy Mother's Day to all mothers out there! This one's for you. ❤

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Once upon a time, there was a tiny cub who ran away from home. He was so upset because his mother always asked him to do the chores even when he had made it clear that the only thing he wanted to do was to play. So he decided to leave their cottage and live on his own.

He walked into the depth of the forest and found a spot to settle in for the night. It was a cave full of bats and insects, and the cub was scared. But he can't go home now, so he laid down on the damp ground and tried to sleep. Not long after he had closed his eyes, he heard the rustling of the leaves outside the cave. The sound was followed by some footsteps approaching his cave.

The cub jolted from his resting position, and with the help of the moonlight, he recognized his visitor.

"Good evening, Mr. Wolf," the cub started. "I was just playing around the forest when I got too far from home. So I'll just stay here and get home in the morning."

The wolf was old enough to know that the young bear was lying, but he took it as his chance. He hadn't had a bear ever since, especially a young one, and he might as well go ahead and give it a try.

"Of course. It's too dark to see the path. I'm sure your mother will understand. Don't worry, I'll stay right here to make sure you're...uhm... safe," the wolf said to the cub. But in his mind, he was already thinking of how he was going to eat the little bear.

Meanwhile, at home, Momma Bear was already worried. Her son usually gets home before sunset, five minutes late at most, but it was already late and he's still not around. It was getting colder, and Momma Bear knew that she had to do something. So she ran all the way to the forest and started calling out for her baby.

She had reached the thickest part of the forest, but the cub was still nowhere to be found. It was usually where he spent the whole afternoons chasing the birds and butterflies, so Momma Bear had expected him to be there.

"My good friend, Mrs. Owl," she greeted the bird who lived in the area, "did you happen to see my son?"

"Oh love. He hadn't been here this afternoon. I thought he stayed home. The tiny birds waited  for him earlier but he never showed up," the owl replied.

"Alright, thank you. I better go and find him."

"Yes, yes. There's a storm coming, so you better hurry." Momma bear went on her way with a heavy lump on her chest. "Where are you, son?," she whispered into the darkness.

The cub found out he couldn't sleep. He thought about his mother and realized how worried she might be. He got up and decided to home.

"Where are you going, kid?," the wolf blocked his way, "It's late. Go to sleep."

"But my Momma must be very worried now. And I couldn't sleep without her. So I'd better go home," the wolf's appearance suddenly changed and it scared him. The cub felt that he had to leave quickly.

"Well I guess, it's too late for that." The wolf snarled at him, showing off a set of sharp teeth to the little cub. The young bear screamed in fear and ran into the night as fast as he could. The wolf followed closely behind him.

From a distance, Momma Bear heard the commotion. She knew in an instant that it was her son's voice, and that he was in danger! Momma Bear followed the voice, hoping she'd reach her son in time. Not long after, she saw  two shadows running towards her directio . She felt relieved to see that one of them was her son, but her relief soon turned into anger when she recognized the second shadow.

The young bear ran for his life, but the wolf was faster and stronger. He was finally caught after a long chase and was tackled into the ground by the hungry creature. He screamed as loud as he could when he felt that the wolf's mouth was getting nearer. And just as the creature's teeth had touched the cub's fur, everything suddenly came to a stop. The next thing he heard was a loud thump from a distance, a growl and the wolf's footsteps as he ran away from the scene.

"What happened?" the cub said when he was sure that he was out of danger.

"Son? Are you alright? Where have you been? I was so worried," Momma Bear said as she embraced her cub.

"Momma? Is that... Momma! It's you! I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have ran away. I will never do it again," the young one cried.

"Hush, now. Let's get you home."

"I love you Momma."

"I love you too, son."

"But Momma, what happened to Mr. Wolf? Is he alright?" the cub asked once they have reached their cottage.

"Of course he's alright," Momma Bear winked at her cub, "I just taught him how to fly."

That day, the cub realized that what he did was wrong. Not only did he make his mother worry, he also got himself into trouble. Since then he tried his best to make it up to his mother, and he never complained about his tasks ever again.